Banned Books Week

Each year the American Library Association and several publishers groups sponsor Banned Book Week – Celebrating the Freedom to Read. This annual event reminds us not to take for granted the freedom of the press that guarantees the freedom to read in our country. This year banned book week is Sept. 29 – Oct. 6.

Every year hundreds of books and other materials are “challenged” in libraries and schools around the country. A “challenged” book is one for which a formal request or complaint has been made requesting that it be removed from the library’s shelves or the school’s curriculum. These include works as wide-ranging as Little House on the Prairie, To Kill a Mockingbird or the Bible.

Check back throughout the week as members of the library staff reflect on books that have been “challenged” at various times through the years. The links below will provide you with more information about Banned Book Week as well as a small listing of books owned by Stoxen Library that have been on various Challenged Book Lists.